Coin-controlled vending device



June 14, 9 F. J. MGFARLAND COIN CONTROLLED VENDING DEVICE Filed Oct. 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m Min m 00 00' 1-,632,493 June 1927' F. J. McFARLAND com CONTROLLED VENDING DEVICE 7 Filed Oct. 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Shet 2 I an do /Z I r Patented June 14, 1927 FLOYD JAMES MOFARLAND, OF WEST POINT, NEW YORK.

COIN-CONTROLLED VENDING DEVICE.

Application filed October 24, 1925. Serial N 64,636.

My present invention pertains to coin controlled vending devices, and contemplates the provision of a device of the kind described, characterized by simplicity of con- 5 struction, reliability in operation, and the highly desirable feature of it being essential to deposit a predetermined number of coins aggregating a certain amount as a condition precedent to the manipulation of the device to'bring about the delivery of an article of commodity such, for instance, as a package of cigarettes.

The device is particularly adapted for use in places where there are large numbers of people requiring to be served'in a short space of time, it being feasible for a prospective purchaser to deposit the requisite coins and secure a package of cigarettes or the like without awaiting his turn to be servedby a salesman.

Other objects and practical advantages of the invention will be fully appreciated from the following description and claim when the same are read in connection with the drawings, accompanying and forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device constituting the best practical embodiment of my invention of which I am 00g nizant, and emphasizing the desirable narrowness of the improvement, so that a plurality of the devices may be arranged side by side in a space of small compass, for the vending at one point of a number of articles of commodity.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the complete device, with the up- 7 right container shown as broken. Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken in the plane indicated by the line H of Figure 3, looking downwardly.

Figure 5 is a perspective of the ejector comprised in the device. 1

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical section illustrative of the manner in which a package of cigarettes or other article of commodity is removed from the delivery chute.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical section, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the manner in which the ejector is adapted to be moved past the catches.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of.

the drawings.

Manifestly it is within the purview of my invention to form the different elements of the device of material compatible with their purpose, and thereforeno reference to inaterials will be made herein, the materials employed not being of my invention.

Among other elements my novel device comprises a casing body 1, and fixed to and rising from the said casing body 1 is an upright container 2, adapted to hold in superposed relation a plurality of packages or articles of commodity such as packages of cigarettes, designated by 3. At its upper end theicontainer 2 is provided Witha normally locked door 4;, and is therefore adapted to be supplied with cigarettes or other articles of commodity at intervals, as occasion demands.

sight glass 6, the purpose of which is to enable a person in authority to see when the container 2 requires replenishing.

As a whole my novel device is Very narrow and compact, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and therefore the device lends itself to the arrangement of a number ofthe devices in side by side relation in a narrow space, for

In its forward wall 5 the contalner is provided with a vertical central the vending of a number ofdifierent articles of commodity. Toward such end, the upright-container 2-is provided with front and rear lateral arms 7, notched at 8, and is also provided with front and rear members preferably in the form of pins 9, Figures Thus it will be apparent from the foregoing that because of the provision justdescribed, a plurality of the devicesmay be coupled together in side by side relation so that there is no liability of any one of the devices being casually displaced, and the de vices so arranged may be used for the vending of different kinds of cigarettes or for.

the vending of different articles of commodity, and when it is necessary one of the devices may be expeditiously and easily rei moved from the aggregation, and may thereafter he as readily united with the aggregation.

Disposed longitudinally in the casing body 1 is a delivery chute or conduit 10, which is preferably, though not necessarily, curvilinear as illustrated, and is closed at its upper and rear end as designated by 11. Atits lower and forward ends the delivery chute 10 is provided with a door 12, hinged at 13 and equipped with a handle 14. It will also i be observed by comparison of Figures 3 and tion; the platform will be autou'iatically preferred embodiment of my invention the positioified flush with the bottom wall of the chute 10 "to receive 8' following box of cigarettes.

The equipment described of the door 12 constitutes an important feature of my inventiom inasmuch asit renders it unnecessary for the purchaser to reach into the chute 10 for the package of cigarettes purchased. On the other .handwh'en the door 12 is opened subsequently to an operation of the devicetthe package of cigarettes will be found on the door Band in front of the platform 15 in position for quick and conveni'ent grasping of the package and removal thereof. 7

The ejector of my improvement is designated by 16, and is capable of being moved rectilinearly on a horizontal wall 17 in the casing body 1, the said wall lTbeing spaced below different portions of the top of the casing body 1, and being also located in spaced relation below the lower end of the upright container 2, a-hinged door 18 being located between the rear end of the wall 17 and the lower end of theback wall of the container 2 so asto permit of the rearward movement of the lowermost package of cigarettes from the wall 17 into the chute 10, and being also adapted subsequently to said movement of the lowermost package of cigarettes, to gravitate to the closed position shown in Figure 8. The said hingedand gravitational door 18 at the point indicated is desirable because it makes necessary a full rearward stroke of the ejector 16 in order to transfer the lowermost package of cigarettes from the container 2 to the chute 10, and in that way assures dropping of the superposed packages 3 in the container 2 subsequently to the movement of the lowermost package from the wall 17 to the upper end'of the chute 10.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention the rear portion of the ejector-16 is comparatively thick, is channeled at its upper side as designated by 19, and is undercut at its forward end as designated by 20. At theforward end of its forward comparatively thin portion the ejector 16 is provided with an appropriate handle 21, and in the ejector has formed in said thin portion two forward circular apertures'22, and in rear of the said apertures 22 the ejector is provided in its said thin portionwith a. series of three circular apertures. the central aperture of said series being numbered 2 and the outer apertures thereof being numbered 24-. The apertures are in longitudinal alinement with the apertures 22, as appears in Figures & and 5. lietractile spri. ts 25 located in the channels 19 are employe. for the movement of the ejector 16 back to normal position subsequently to the rem-ward movement of the ejector 16 by a purchaser and the release of the ejector. are connected at their forward ends to the top of the casing body 1 and their rear ends to the end portion of the ejector 16.

The said top wall of the casing body 1 numbered 26 and it serves to house and pr tect the rear portion of the ejector 16 and the springs complementary thereto.

In the wall 17 of the *asing body 1 is provided a plurality of apertures 27, Figures 3. 4 and 7., for the reception and play of beveled heads 28 comprised in spring catches. the re silient shanks 29 of'whi'ch are fixedly connected to the wall 17 as designated by 30. At apoint in rear of the sajd apertures 27 which are arranged in a transverse series. Figure 1, is an opening 31 formed in the wall 17 in order .to enable coins which have functioned to drop from the ejector 16 to the money receptacle of the device the said money receptacle being; provided at its forward end with a normally closed and locked door 33, Figures 1 and 3.

A tray 31 is carried on the front wall of the. casing body land. is connected by a opening 35 with a compartment 36 disposed above the forward portion of the nu c receptacle The rompartment 36 is in con'nnunication with openings 37 in the wall 17, and hence it will be understood that on the idle forward movement of the ejector 16 in the event of'insutiicient or improper coins having been placed in the apertures at 23 and 2d of the ejector the said coins will drop from the ejector 16 through the opening 3?. a single opening 3'? being preferably em ployed, to the compartment 36 from which the said coins will pass to the tray 3% for the return of the coins to the prospective purchaser.

In the practical operation of my novel device, the proper coins are deposited in the apertures 22-24 of the ejector 16, andthe said ejector is then moved rearwardly against the action of the springs 25. The r ctilinear movement of the proper coins in the ejector will serve on the said rearward movement of the ejector to hold the catches 28 in depressed position. and hence the ejector will operate to displace a package from the container 2, whereupon said package will Said springs 25 t gravitate to the end of the chute 10 to be removed on the opening of the door in the manner made manifest by Figure 6. On the release of the ejector 16 the springs 25 will operate to promptly return the ejector to its normal position, there being no liability of any portion of the ejector catching on the heads of the catches 28 because of the beveled rear ends of the said catches as is best shown in Figure 7. It will also be apparent that on the displacement of the lowermost package in the container 2 and the transfer of said package to the chute 10, the superposed series of packages in the container 2 will" gravitate so that the lowermost package thereof will rest on the wall 17 inthe path of the ejector 16 and in readiness for another operation of the device.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that my novel device while simple and inexpensive in construction is well adapted to withstand the usage to which vending devices are ordinarily subjected.

It will also be appreciated that the device is susceptible of being expeditiously operated as is desirable when a number of persons are to be served in quick succession.

I would have it distinctly understood that it is within the purview of my invention to provide the ejector with one, three, five or any other desired number of apertures for the reception of coins, the catches 28 corresponding in number to the longitudinal sets of ejector apertures employed. I would also have it understood that when a number of my devices are arranged in a battery or aggregation as before alluded to, the ejectors of the several devices may be provided with different numbers of coin receiving apertures. For instance one ejector may be pro vidcd with five apertures, as shown, for the reception of five nickels necessary to the purchase of a package of cigarettes costing twenty-five cents, while the ejector in another one of the devices may have only the apertures 23 and 24, the apertures 22 being altogether omitted.

The construction herein illustrated and platform 15 at the forward described in detail constitutes the best practical embodiment of my inventlon of which I am cognizant and has been disclosed as stated in order to communicate an exact understanding of the same. however, to be understood as confining myself to the'specific construction and relative arrangement of the invention being defined by my appended claim within the scope of which various structural changes may be made without departure from my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, 1s

A vending device comprising a casing body, a' delivery chutetherein, a support in the casing body for superposed articles of commodity and extending to the upper wall of the chute at the upper end of said wall, a container for said articles having its lower end open and spaced above said support and also having its rear wall spaced above said upper end of the chute wall, a wall 8Xt8I1Cling forwardly from the lower end of the forward wall of the container and spaced above said support to form therewith a housing, an ejector movable rectilinearly between the support and said forwardly projecting wall and having a rear comparatively thick portion and longitudinal channels in parts as disclosed, my

I do not desire,

the upper side of said portion and also having a forward low comparatively thin portion and a handle at the forward end thereof, retractile springs for returning the ejector to normal posit-ion, said springs resting in the longitudinal channels and connected at their forward ends to said forwardly projecting wall and at their rear ends to the rear end of the ejector, and a swingable member disposed below the rear wall of the container and hingedly connected with the casing gravitate to closed position at the rear end of the support.

body and adapted to in the ejector In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FLOYD JAMES MoFARLAND. 

